Toxic savior of the dead
by Shadowflame013
Summary: A student stumbles upon a strange meteor whocj has changed his life. Follow through the eyes of the toxic anti-hero as he fights through the hoard of the undead.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: Day of reckoning.

Hello everyone. This story was made possible because of the Venom movie. I personally like the character and wanted to show my appreciation of him. I do not own anything.

A young boy, who was European and Japanese, was seen walking his way to a school. His hair was a dirt blonde color, appearing straight. He was average in height, appearing somewhat fit. His choice of clothing consisted of a black blazer with matching business pants and black shoes. His eyes were a deep blue color, akin to looking at the open ocean. He was 15 years old.

'Finally in school...' The boy thought.

He was already a high school freshman, but he proved to be smart. However, he was a quiet person, choosing to keep to himself. Much of his lifestyle didn't involve interacting with others.

'Might as well enjoy the time here before.' The boy thought.

He had pulled out his school ID card as a reminder of the upcoming future. It showed his name as Akio Petridi.

School was now over. Akio walked his way to his home, unknowingly wandering to a spot that would change his life. A meteor sudden crashed near a park he was walking in.

"What the...? A meteor strike?" Akio questioned.

Akio, curious of the meteor, raced to it. Upon reaching the crash site, he noticed a small crater. The meteor didn't seem solid as a black, liquid-like substance was moving out of the meteor. It seemed alive since it was flowing in a manner not displayed from a typical liquid. Akio noticed the liquid.

"What is this stuff?" He said.

Though noticing the fluid, Akio felt somewhat reluctant to get close. Before he had a chance to move away, the fluid suddenly adhered to his right shoe. He felt it making contact and tried to shake it off.

"Get off me!" He yelled.

The fluid continued to surround him, enveloping his right leg. Akio was shaking his leg in a panic to get the fluid off, obviously failing.

"Get the heck off of me!" He shouted.

Soon, the fluid reached up to his waist and left leg. It kept climbing up to his body before reaching his head.

"What...is this?" He questioned, surrendering to it.

The fluid surrounded his head. He closed his eyes as the fluid consumed him.

"Aaaah... A host to be with. This kid has potential. Too bad his lifestyle will change." A dark voice said.

The figure was obscured due to the nearby bushes. Soon, it laid flat on the ground, now showing the boy. Akio finally regained consciousness minutes after the fluid uncovered his body.

"Ugh... What happened?" He asked.

Akio realized he was at the park. Recalling the meteor that struck near him, he went back to it, only to find a hollow stone. There was nothing inside of the rock.

"What was that...thing...that was in that meteor?" He pondered.

Scratching his head of the sudden event, he made his way to his home to ponder what he saw.

Akio's home was a common, two story home. He was alone due to his parents working in a different area in Japan. It made him feel uncomfortable at first, but he accepted the lifestyle.

'After leaving from Fujimi Academy and wandering into that park, a meteor suddenly crashed there... What was that stuff that came from it?' Akio thought.

Having more questions in his mind, Akio decided to head out to a store to buy some food.

At a local convenience store, Akio exited the place. He was holding bars of chocolate in a grocery bag. Many of the people noted his taste for the sweet.

'Not really unusual for a guy to eat chocolate, but I need it to think this out. Whatever happened today is still fresh in my mind.' Akio comically thought.

While letting his mind wander astray, Akio failed to notice a speeding car heading to him. A voice suddenly went to his mind to warn him.

 **"Get back!"** The voice echoed.

Reflexively, Akio was surprised and jumped back, barely avoiding the car. The voice surprised him more than the near death experience.

'What was that...!? I know a voice spoke to me to prevent an accident...' Akio thought.

Pondering of the recent experience, Akio went back to his home, running. The sudden hearing of the voice spooked him, demanding more answers.

Back in his home, Akio was trying to find any explanation to the voice he suddenly heard.

'What was that voice...? I hope I'm not losing it...' Akio thought, processing his experience.

 **"You are not losing it."** The voice answered his mental question.

Akio turned around, looking for the source. He couldn't locate it.

"Who said that?" Akio questioned.

 **"I did, you turd."** The voice responded.

Akio soon realized the source of the voice was around him. Though mentally relieved he was not hallucinating since the sound was clear as day, he now had to face the source of the voice.

"What are you? I don't know anything about you." Akio asked.

Soon, the familiar black fluid materialized a head. The eyes were a slanted, white color, giving the head a fearsome gaze. The already frightening aspect was the rows of inhuman teeth that appeared long and sharp. A large slender tongue was shown moving out of the mouth. Akio was deeply shocked to see what was making the voice.

"You...! You're what came from that meteor today...!" Akio spoke, aghast.

 **"Aren't we perceptive for a host? So many questions to replace one answer."** The head spoke.

"Not to criticize, but let's try taking it slow by answering one at a time." Akio said.

 **"Sounds like you're a nerd. For your first question, I'm a Symbiote. We are bonded."** The head said.

"A Symbiote? Wait, you mentioned being bonded. Obviously, it doesn't make you like some kind of parasite." Akio pointed out.

The Symbiote made a growling noise upon hearing the term 'parasite'.

 **"We're not parasites! We only bond with our host for us to survive."** The Symbiote spoke.

"Okay. So it's a co-dependent biology. I recall that your body is almost like a liquid." Akio realized.

 **"Aren't we a smart turd? Yes, I can shape-shift if that is what you're thinking."** The Symbiote confirmed.

"Convincing enough. What else can you grant to the host? I know that your strongest power is to shape-shift." Akio questioned.

The Symbiote made a dark chuckle in response, unnerving Akio.

 **"We can give superhuman strength, durability, and strong senses. We also have knowledge of the host we bond to."** The Symbiote said.

"I never thought I would say this, but man this is awesome." Akio said.

 **"We can do more since it depends on how you think."** The Symbiote reveled.

"That sounds convincing. The only thing is we need a name for you. Since you're bonded to me, most likely down to the cellular level, I don't see any reason to call you 'that'." Akio said.

 **"Fair point, nerd. What name are you thinking of?"** The Symbiote asked.

"Hmmm..." Akio exhaled, thinking of a name.

 **"Well?"** The Symbiote asked impatiently.

"Talk about being toxic, aren't you?" Akio joked.

 **"Don't get started."** The Symbiote said.

"I got it! I think the name 'Venom' suits you." Akio said.

 **"'Venom'... Not too shabby. I like the name. We are Venom."** The Symbiote now named Venom said with glee.

"Well, Venom. We may need to trust each other. For starters, I don't know what to provide as nutrients for you." Akio said.

 **"We crave certain chemicals in your body, which is a steady diet for us. We feed on adrenaline and a chemical in your brain. Though we gain the chemical by eating other beings."** Venom said.

"What!? You want me to be a cannibal!?" Akio exclaimed.

 **"Argh... Keep the volume down...! And yes. We have our freedom to eat humans for food."** Venom said.

"Sorry. Still, there should be a substitute to eating a human's brain and adrenaline..." Akio said.

Soon, Venom spotted the grocery bag Akio left in his room. He began smelling it, only to show his tongue.

 **"What's in the bag?"** Venom questioned.

"It's chocolate. A sweet treat that I like eating." Akio said.

Immediately, the head soon reached in to grab a bar of chocolate. Akio watched as Venom ate one of the bars in one gulp. It made a satisfying slurping sound.

 **"Tasty..."** Venom said.

"Hey! That was my treat!" Akio comically spoke.

 **"You mean, 'our' treat."** Venom corrected.

Akio sighed for a moment. He then realized a particular chemical that was in chocolate. He slowly connected the dots and figured out what the Symbiote craves.

"Now I see... There's a chemical in chocolate that you crave for... It's the same stuff that is also found in brains." Akio realized.

 **"My, my, my... You're learning rather quickly to figure that."** Venom joked darkly.

"Easy to figure this out. Chocolate has that chemical. It should be listed on the package..." Akio said, looking at the unwrapped package.

Looking at the ingredients section, Akio noticed a particular chemical.

"Phenethylamine... This is the chemical that's prevalent in chocolate." Akio said.

 **"Also in the brain as well. Now you see why."** Venom said.

"So we have to share our favorite treat to prevent us from being a cannibal. Well, under normal circumstances I would've refused. But, seeing that you're bonded to me, I wouldn't mind. Plus, we share the same tastes for chocolate." Akio said.

 **"Alright then. We should make a deal. Keep me well fed with chocolate and I won't eat anyone around you."** Venom suggested.

"Fair enough. At least chocolate is more affordable here. Plus, there are varieties of chocolate drinks to have." Akio said.

 **"Oooh... I like a drink party."** Venom laughed.

Akio snorted in response. Though he questioned himself of how his life suddenly changed, it made him feel welcome to see how it goes.

"We should also keep ourselves low. Trust me, we don't want to start a panic among people." Akio realized.

 **"Never liked being in the shadows, but we'll play your game. We prefer it than being open."** Venom agreed.

"Indeed. Anyway, let's get some rest. I'll provide you with more chocolate tomorrow." Akio said.

 **"It was an exhausting trip here, that much we can agree. It's bedtime."** Venom joked.

"You and your sense of humor." Akio laughed.

The next day, Akio was hanging outside during lunch. He was eating a bento meal with chocolate milk as a drink.

 **"Bleh! I never liked this."** Venom complained.

"Seeing that your food is chocolate, I can see that... Still, we humans need our nutrition just as you need a supplement of chocolate. We may be different, but at least we can survive through agreeable terms." Akio reasoned.

 **"I'll hold on to that though while I leave your tongue away. I'm off of this taste."** Venom complained, feeling the food Akio was eating.

"Sorry, Venom. I'll be having the drink soon. I'm almost done eating." Akio apologized.

Eating the rest of his lunch, Akio held the chocolate milk container before Venom's head appeared. It began drinking the contents with a satisfied tone.

 **"Now that's what I call a meal."** Venom said.

"Tell me about it. The sweet stuff works well." Akio agreed.

 **"Welcome to our world."** Venom joked.

Akio and Venom were resting outside with the calming wind blowing. The Symbiote noticed his sentimental state.

 **"What are you thinking, nerd?"** Venom questioned.

"Just some memories of my past." Akio answered.

 **"Sentimental. Not my forte."** Venom commented.

"No nitpicking." Akio retorted.

 **"Nit picker."** Venom spoke back.

While they argued comically, they both didn't realize a catastrophic event that would shake the foundations of civilization. Venom noticed the sudden change of the air.

 **"Look alive, Akio. We got company."** Venom said.

Akio noticed the school gate was being rammed by a student. He looked odd, appearing sickly pale and not even noticing the gate.

"What the hell...?" Akio questioned.

 **"This guy is not alive..."** Venom said.

"What do you mean?" Akio asked.

 **"Don't you smell it? He stinks like a corpse."** Venom darkly answered.

Akio noted the smell and was repulsed. To him, it smelled like rotten meat or a body undergoing decomposition.

"P.U... That stinks..." Akio said, covering his nose.

Akio noticed the male student's eyes were off-white, hinting it was dead. This got him by surprise.

"What the hell? His eyes... Venom, you're right. He is dead." Akio commented.

 **"No shit, Sherlock.** " Venom replied.

Akio gave a mental poker face to Venom in response. Soon, three teachers came up to the gate. One of them was a female reaching her 30s. She had light brown eyes with glasses, reddish-brown hair which she keeps in a loose ponytail with long strands hanging down in front of each ear. Her figure was voluptuous.

 **"This woman's feeling... She feels as though life is unsatisfactory. Too bad, so sad."** Venom darkly joked.

"Give it a break, Venom. Try to talk to me telepathically so they won't hear you." Akio whispered.

 **'So who is this woman?'** Venom asked.

'Her name is Hayashi Kyoko. She's known to be strict with her education. From what you can understand, she has a no-nonsense attitude.' Akio explained mentally.

The two male teachers followed Kyoko. Akio recognized one of the male teachers following along. He was a tall man with black hair. He was wearing a light blue shirt with a high collar and black pants.

'That's Teshima, one of the gym teachers. The other one I don't know his name since I never seen him in my classes.' Akio mentally continued.

 **'They look like a bunch of turds. We should get ready.'** Venom telepathically spoke.

'Slow down, Venom. If that guy is attempting something foolish, we'll step in.' Akio thought.

 **'My thoughts exactly.'** Venom agreed.

"Petridi! Get back from the gate!" Teshima shouted.

Akio bit back a growl from the loud shouting. The loud noise was evidently painful to him.

'Venom, why does the loud noise cause so much pain? Wait, don't tell me...' Akio realized.

 **'You got it, numbskull. We Symbiotes don't go well with loud sounds or fire.'** Venom confirmed.

'Great... Seems like we have our share of weaknesses. Anyway, get ready.' Akio thought.

Venom gave a mental nod as they both waited for anything. Teshima went up to the gate to confront the dead student. What everyone didn't realize, the student had a large chunk of the back of his leg bitten off.

"What the hell are you doing? Get out of this school." Teshima said.

Akio shook his head with a disdainful grunt. He didn't like how Teshima was acting.

 **'This guy... He's more of a brawler than brains.'** Venom analyzed.

The dead student continued banging on the gate. Teshima soon grabbed the collar of the student's shirt and violently pulled him on the gate.

"Teshima! Isn't that a little rough?" Kyoko questioned.

"That should deter him." Teshima answered.

Soon, the student quickly went to his exposed arm and hit hard enough to draw blood. Teshima screamed as a large chunk of his arm was torn off.

"Aaaaaggh!!" Teshima screamed as blood rushed out of his body.

"Teshima!" Kyoko screamed.

Soon, Teshima began flailing before going limp. Everyone witnessed the whole ordeal and was in shock.

"Oh my God... He's dead." Kyoko said.

"How? He was just bitten." The male teacher said.

'Holy shit... He's dead...' Akio thought.

 **'No shit. He was already dead the moment he got bitten.** ' Venom said.

'Wait, are you telling me this is something like...a zombie film?' Akio questioned.

 **'Like Resident Evil or the Walking Dead? Yes, either one of them.'** Venom confirmed.

'How do you know all...? Wait, since you're bonded with me, you can also read my mind so you know.' Akio guessed.

 **'Yes, we share our experiences so what you learn, I learn in return.'** Venom said.

'Fair enough. Ugh... Teshima now stinks...' Akio realized.

Soon, Teshima had deathly pale skin. His eyes opened up, appearing off-white.

'Holy... He's a zombie...!' Akio thought.

The now zombified Teshima set his sights to the other male teacher. Kyoko watched with concern till she saw Teshima bite the other teacher in the neck. She screamed in fear.

"Oh my God! What happened!?" She screamed in near insanity.

Akio noticed the two male teachers approaching Kyoko. He was debating whether to reveal his new ability or let Kyoko die.

"Venom, forget about hiding in the shadows. Time for action!" Akio said.

 **"Thought you never asked."** Venom laughed.

Kyoko watched as Akio was mostly surrounded by Venom in a tight black suit. Only his head was shown exposed. He threw a punch to each zombie in the head, which sent them flying to the wall, crushing their skulls.

'Damn... I didn't think I would be this strong...' Akio realized in wonder.

 **'Look alive. That other one is coming from outside.'** Venom warned.

Akio quickly performed an open palm thrust, sending the undead student back in the wall head first. Kyoko watched the whole ordeal in shock.

"W-What happened to you, Petridi-san!? What is that suit!?" She questioned in complete disbelief.

"Before we can answer, we should worry about those things coming in! Let's head in the school to warn everyone!" Akio spoke seriously.

Kyoko understood the situation, though she was shaken by what she witnessed. Another witness also noticed the event happening and was shocked. It was a second year male student. He was average in height with brown eyes, spiky black hair which can occasionally have a purple hue. He possesses a slender yet reasonably powerful build. His attire consists of his black school uniform with a red T-shirt underneath.

"Holy shit... I gotta warn them." The boy said, running inside the school.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: Mass panic.

Akio and Kyoko were racing their way in to the school to warn the people.

"Petridi-san, I'll ask what I witnessed later. Right now, we have to warn everyone of what we saw." Kyoko said.

"Couldn't have said it better." Akio agreed.

"I'll head to the Principal office to warn him. We'll meet at this staircase." Kyoko said.

"Got it. I'll warn my friends in my classes!" Akio agreed.

Akio ran his way to his classroom. While running, Venom began questioning him.

"We agree we should warn others, but what about ourselves?" He asked.

"Better for us to work in a group than alone. I don't want you getting bitten from them, despite your biology. We don't know if you'll get the infection." Akio warned.

 **"Good point, nerd. We appreciate your concern."** Venom sardonically responded.

Akio's first stop was at class 2A. He suddenly went inside, disrupting the class.

"What is the reason that you're interrupting the class?" A male teacher questioned.

"We don't have time to explain everything, but we have a concerning event that threatens this school. Hayashi-sensei and I witnessed an event that killed two of our teachers here." Akio spoke.

Every student soon stood up, heading to the nearest window to see Akio's confirmation. They saw the two bodies bleeding out in front of the gate.

"What happened back there?" A male student asked.

"I don't know exactly what I saw, but a man was banging the school gate. Those two teachers came with Hayashi-sensei to investigate. Teshima-sensei attempted to stop it using violence, but he was bitten." Akio said.

"Bitten!?" A female student asked in shock.

"Yes, bitten. Soon, he turned into this...zombie... and bit the other teacher on the neck. I wouldn't be lying right now, especially when announcing news like this." Akio said.

Soon, the boy whom witnessed the events from a remote location came in. Before he could speak, Akio interrupted him.

"They're already been briefed of the situation. Get your friends and flee at once!" Akio shouted.

The boy wasted no time to bring two people he knew. One was a guy with gray hair and brown eyes. The other was a girl with long, orangy-brown hair with bangs and two strands sticking out above the rest of her hair. She had reddish-brown eyes with a slender, ample figure. She also had. a small, single ponytail on the back of her head, leaving the rest of her hair long.

"Alright, kouhai. What exactly is going on?" The dark haired boy questioned.

"First, let's introduce ourselves." Akio suggested.

"I'm Komuro Takashi." The dark haired boy introduced.

"I'm Igou Hisashi." The silver haired boy followed.

"I'm Miyamoto Rei." The girl finished.

"Alright then. We are Akio Petridi." Akio followed along.

Takashi and the others were confused due to Akio using the pronoun 'we' instead of 'I'.

"We'll explain later. Right now, we need to move quickly. A mass panic is inevitable.

Soon the PA system began to sound out an announcement.

"Damn, they noticed already." Akio said.

"Everyone, this is the Principal. Vacate your classes and walk calmly outside. There is mass violence happening in the school. I repeat, classes are suspended indefinitely." The Principal said, only for him to be interrupted.

Soon, everyone heard the Principal struggling with Kyoko in the office, grunting as well. Akio realized the undead have swarmed in already.

"Komuro... Take your friends to the rooftop. Hurry!" Akio said, racing his way to the Principal's office.

Takashi couldn't process what Akio said after hearing the PA. Hisashi quickly took lead and guided them upstairs to the roof.

"We'll worry about Akio later. He seemed concerned to heading to the Principal's Office. We'll meet up him later." Hisashi said.

"Alright then." Takashi reluctantly agreed.

He noticed a broom nearby. He quickly went to it and pulled the body of the broom out, leaving the head behind. In the process, he found a wooden baseball bat.

"What are you doing?" Rei questioned.

"You're a practitioner in sōjutsu. This should act as a replacement." Takashi said.

"I have a black belt in martial arts so I should be fine." Hisashi said.

"Alright, let's go!" Takashi said.

Reaching to the Principal's Office, Akio quickly went inside to find a home of the dead stampeding their way in. Kyoko was trying to get some space between her and the dead.

"Venom! Now's the time for combat!" Akio shouted.

Unknown to him, the undead turned their heads to him. The Symbiote agreed to fight in response, forming sharp weapons in a mass of tentacles. They all rushed to their heads, cleanly slicing them off.

 **"Thought you never asked, nerd. What about the broad that's here?"** Venom asked.

"We'll chat with her later. The more important objective for us is to find a safe spot from these zombies." Akio said.

 **"Fair point."** Venom agreed.

"Also, let's not get hungry with them. I don't know what pathogens they may contain, but it may be dangerous for us to consume." Akio warned.

 **"Now that you mention it, you're right."** Venom realized.

Kyoko was shaken by the sudden appearance of sharp tentacles that impaled the zombies. Akio went to her, which caused the teacher to instinctively flinch.

"Sensei, we cant stay in this room. Pull yourself together." Akio said.

Kyoko snapped from her fear induced trance. Though she had questions of seeing the Symbiote in action, the teacher reluctantly decided to trust Akio, considering he saved her life.

"Where are we going?" Kyoko asked.

"I have to meet with Komuro-sempai. I told him to head to the rooftop. We should hurry there before more of them show up." Akio said.

He took Kyoko's hand and held her up. Though the teacher was still shaken from what she witnessed, the gesture from her student seemed to dissuade her fear.

"Alright, Petridi-san." She agreed.

Takashi, Rei, and Hisashi were on their way to the roof.

"Do you think Petridi-San will be fine?" Rei asked.

"He seemed confident enough. He was the one who told us to get up to the roof." Takashi reasoned.

Heading their way to a suspended hallway, the group noticed a person they recognized. However, he was already a zombie in appearance. The zombified person had black hair and wore a red vest over a white shirt, sweatpants, sandals, and a wedding ring.

"That's Wakisaka... He was our social studies teacher." Rei said.

Soon, the zombified Wakisaka crawled like an animal to Rei. She was shocked of the sudden movement, she fell on the floor.

"Wakisaka-sensei... Stop, please." Rei begged.

The zombie didn't listen for any words. This infuriated Rei, forcing her to attack. She spun her weapon and impaled the zombie in the chest. To her shock, Wakisaka was still moving.

"That's impossible...! I impaled his heart and he's still moving!" Rei said, shocked.

Hisashi quickly held Wakisaka from behind.

"Rei, pull it out while I hold him!" He said.

Rei struggled to pull the makeshift spear out, due to the sharp end getting stuck. She managed to do so, albeit with too much force, knocking herself down on the ground.

"Hisashi! Get away from him! Something is wrong!" Takashi realized.

"Don't worry! I got him." Hisashi reassured.

Hisashi was barely holding Wakisaka back, only to realize how strong the zombie was. The zombie twisted its body to face Hisashi, surprising the boy.

"What the hell!? He's stronger!" He said with surprise.

Against anyone's expectations, Wakisaka twisted his neck and managed to bite on Hisashi's left arm.

"Ahh! My arm!" Hisashi winced.

The zombie managed to bite Hisashi, but not deep enough. Takashi attempted to help Hisashi get free from the zombie's grip by hitting it on the back repeatedly. Rei also stabbed it on the back. Both attempts failed to remove the zombie off Hisashi.

"What!? Why aren't we affecting him?" Rei asked in shock.

"I knew it... He's been dead...! Only, he's a zombie!" Takashi realized.

Soon, Wakisaka managed to bite hard enough to pierce Hisashi's arm in the flesh, causing blood to fly out. Hisashi screamed in pain, feeling his flesh getting torn. Rei tried to help pry the zombie off.

"Takashi, do something!!" She shouted.

Having no choice, Takashi slammed the bat on the zombie's head. Blood sprayed in a frenzy fountain upon impact. Wakisaka's corpse finally let go and collapsed on the ground, dead.

"Is...he dead now?" Rei asked.

"I think so... The blow busted his skull." Takashi confirmed.

Hisashi groaned from the bite wound. It felt painful to him.

"Hisashi, are you okay!?" Rei asked.

"I'll manage. It's just a small flesh wound." Hisashi reassured.

'Somehow, I think that this might get worse...' Takashi thought, foreshadowing what he was thinking.

Several students were screaming as a few of them were being attacked by the zombified students and people arriving outside of the school. The group had to watch in horror the carnage and bloodshed.

"There's no way we can take them all on. We would be overwhelmed." Takashi said.

"That kouhai said to head to the roof. The astral observatory is there as well. Let's head there to see the situation." Hisashi said.

The group made their way to the observatory, getting a decent view of the town. Pandemonium was occurring as sirens from official vehicles were blaring across town. Fires were burning and people screaming echos across the city.

"It was just normal a few hours ago... How could this happen so suddenly...?" Rei asked.

A gust of wind got their attention. The three teens looked up to see military helicopters flying to the city.

"What the...? That's the JSDF...!" Hisashi said.

Rei tried to wave for help, but the helicopters didn't stop to them.

"Why aren't they helping us?" Rei questioned.

"They're already sent to their operations. Even if they spotted us, they already had their orders." Hisashi grimly spoke.

"Even the military is roused to action..." Takashi noticed.

"But how...did this occur so suddenly?" Rei questioned.

"It's just like any post apocalyptic zombie film or game. Once a zombie appears, more will show up in a startling rate. A city like this would be decimated to its very foundation in a matter of seconds." Hisashi said.

"I have to call my father... He works in the police station nearby." Rei said.

"Use my phone. I noticed yours got damaged when we fought Wakisaka." Takashi said.

Rei nodded and dialed her father's phone number.

"Hello!? Rei is that you!?" Rei's father questioned.

"Otou-san! I'm doing okay-" Rei's voice stooped when she heard the next words.

"I can't hear you! There's a large panic going on here!" Her father interrupted.

"Otou-san!" She cried.

"Listen! Go find your mother and evacuate from this city! It's too dangerous..." Rei's father commanded.

Soon the phone got cut off. Rei was feeling devastated that her voice wasn't heard from her father.

"He's a tough person. He'll make it through." Takashi reassured.

"More importantly, the school is already in a panic. Most of the people we know may have become 'them.' The undead are infected with some kind of disease. This is unlike fictional media. We're dealing with the real deal. The only way to put them down for good is destroying their heads. A sharp blow, or anything that could destroy the brain will do." Hisashi spoke analytically.

Several zombies came into view. This surprised the three teens.

"What should we do...?" Rei questioned.

"Up there, at the supply closet. We need to head up those stairs." Hisashi noticed.

"'They' don't appear to be fast, but don't let them get close." Takashi said.

"Yeah, they have insane strength since their brain is no longer limiting their muscular system." Hisashi confirmed.

The three teens rushed to the supply closet. Takashi managed to kill two zombies on the way to the stairs. Rei was soon caught by one of them, pushing the makeshift spear on to her abdomen.

"Rei!" Hisashi noticed.

Hisashi roused into action, taking the baseball bat and killing the zombie by smashing the head.

Akio and Kyoko noticed the mass bloodshed occurring in the school.

"How horrible... Some of the students took their own lives." Akio said with a somber tone.

"How could this happen so suddenly? Everything was normal..." Kyoko questioned.

"It's like a zombie film. Once one of them bites a victim, they multiply like rabbits... Infecting every person they attack till everyone is one of them..." Akio said.

"What should we do then?" Kyoko pondered in a mild panic.

"We should find any survivors. We can't leave them here, knowing they'll be trapped." Akio said.

"Okay then. You haven't answered my questions about your...new abilities yet, Petridi-san." Kyoko reminded.

"That will come in time. For now, let's focus on finding any survivors and finding a spot to rest our thoughts. This is not the right place or time to answer questions." Akio said.

 **"I agree with your thinking, nerd. Let's go."** Venom spoke.

"What was that?" Kyoko asked, hearing the voice.

"That will be the answer to your question. Worry about it later." Akio said.

On the way, Akio and Kyoko managed to find the Infirmary. The school nurse was a blonde haired woman at her early twenties. She was a very tall buxom woman. Her physical features consists of long blonde hair that extends down pass her waist, and hazel eyes. Several bangs of her hair comes down into her face, with two bangs come down at the sides running all the way down while also framing her face. She was shown dressed in a white dress shirt with a brown skirt.

"Marikawa Shizuka! We have to leave this place! It's not safe." Kyoko ordered.

The woman named Shizuka looked ditzy and sleepy. Much to Kyoko's chagrin, she didn't seem aware of the present circumstances.

"What's happening out there?" She asked.

Akio and Kyoko groaned, mentally thinking how ditzy she could be. Venom silently chuckled, finding her ditzy nature comical.

Hours have past and the sun was starting to set. The mass panic was starting to fade into silence. Takashi, Rei, and Hisashi managed to barricade themselves, using heavy tables to create a physical barrier against the zombies.

"We should find a lighter or some matches to make a fire... Otherwise, we won't be able to see them in the dark..." Hisashi said.

Soon, Hisashi began to cough violently. He was vomiting blood. Rei and Takashi noticed the event, shocked of what happened.

"Hisashi! Are you alright!? Takashi, Hisashi is..." Rei said in a panic.

Takashi knew something was wrong ever since his friend got bitten. Soon, Hisashi showed his face appearing paler than usual. His eyes were getting dark circles that seemed black. His already blue veins were starting to turn darker.

"Hisashi? But why...? The bite didn't tear you that harshly. How are you feeling worse...?" Rei said in disbelief.

Hisashi was breathing heavily. He had enough energy to inform the group.

"It's just like any zombie film... If a victim gets bitten, they're dead in a matter of hours..." Hisashi grimly stated.

"Movies are not real...!" Rei said, not believing the current situation.

"Everything is like a movie, but this is reality. Make no mistake of it." Hisashi said.

His breathing was getting shallow. He soon looked at his friend.

"Takashi... Help me..." Hisashi requested.

"What...should I do?" Takashi reluctantly asked.

Hisashi pointed to the edge, directly at the fence.

"Take me to the edge of the roof. If I fall, my head will be destroyed..." Hisashi explained.

Rei gasped, realizing he was planning to commit suicide.

"What are you even saying!?" Rei questioned.

"I don't want to die and become one of 'them'!" Hisashi bellowed.

Soon, he began vomiting copious amounts of blood. Rei begged to God for Hisashi not to die, but her screams were never answered. Hisashi weakly sat up, knowing his time was ending.

"Takashi..." He weakly spoke.

His friend watched with silent remorse as he watched Hisashi dying.

"I want...to die...as a...human..." Hisashi spoke.

Soon, he began vomiting more blood before producing a bloodcurdling scream, clutching his chest. Rei cried as Hisashi kept flailing from the pain of death till his body went limp. She only watched in disbelief as he died in front of her. Takashi closed his eyes in mourning of his friend's death.

"No! This isn't happening...! Why did he have to die!?" Rei sobbed.

Takashi knew his friend would resurrect as a zombie. Steeling his soul, he gripped on the baseball tightly.

"Rei... Get away from him..." Takashi spoke in an emotionless, calm tone.

Rei knew Takashi was going to destroy Takashi's head. She quickly went to the corpse in response.

"No! He won't rise and become one of them! He will remain dead!" Rei said unconvincingly.

Takashi didn't believe her. He kept a steel gaze at Hisashi's body.

"I said, get away from him." Takashi spoke.

Rei refused to leave Hisashi's body away. Soon, she saw Hisashi move.

"Hisashi?" Rei said.

Hisashi made a familiar raspy noise from his mouth. He stood up like a lethargic person. His hair, eyes and skin have turned deathly gray. He was no longer human. Takashi knew this right away.

"See Takashi? He wouldn't die from this...?" Rei said, before looking at Hisashi's current form.

The zombified Hisashi stood up. Takashi brought Rei back as she realized the reality. It made her cry in disbelief.

"This is not happening... It must be a movie or a dream..." Rei said, clearly not believing what she's seeing.

Takashi stood in front of Rei, ready to kill his undead friend.

"This is not a dream... Nor is it a movie... This is reality. I'll admit that I'm still not believing this. However, after everything we witnessed...even if it's reality... IT'S A FUCKED UP WORLD NOW!" Takashi bellowed.

He screamed with vigor and emotion as he raced to Hisashi before swinging the baseball bat on Hisashi's head.

"NO!!!!!" Rei screamed.

Seconds have past since Takashi put his friend out of his misery. Time seemed to move slower, as though hours have elapsed after Hisashi's death. Takashi has an emotionless gaze, though he was silently mourning the loss of his friend. So was Rei, crying for Hisashi.

"Why...? I didn't want Hisashi to be like this..." Rei somberly spoke.

"If I didn't, you would have turned into one of them." Takashi spoke.

"I didn't want you to save me, nor I want to see him like this... I'd rather be bitten by Hisashi and become of them than live like this..." Rei responded, slowly slipping into insanity.

Takashi remained silent, knowing Rei was becoming unreasonable. He merely gave a cold stare.

"What do you know, Takashi? Oh, that's right... You hated him since we were dating and you weren't dating me!" Rei snapped.

Takashi went to Hisashi's corpse and placed a white blanket to cover his head. His soul was now shattered, enduring the heavy weight of his friend's death and his crush for Rei turned to heartbreak. He slowly went to the barricade.

"Where are you going?" Rei questioned.

"Since you don't want me here, I'll be leaving you here so I can fight 'them'. I would die in result, but it's better in your opinion than seeing me alive..." Takashi coldly stated, climbing on the barricade.

"Wait, I take it back Takashi. Don't leave me here alone!" Rei said in desperation.

She clamped into Takashi, desperately holding him back from doing a suicidal act. Takashi was debating whether to continue or rethink his action. He chose to stay.

'From this day... I killed my best friend... Though I held the girl I loved in my arms, my thoughts were asunder, mourning for those I knew.' Takashi narrated in his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: Mutual trust.

Akio was helping a student wearing glasses block off one of the doors leading into the Infirmary. He found the student holding an IV pole as a weapon against the zombies.

"Damn, this is getting bad... Those zombies are trying to barge through!" Akio said, holding one of the doors back.

 **"Let me take care of this, nerd."** Venom suggested.

"And spook everyone of our abilities? No thanks." Akio refused.

 **"Fine then. I'm doing this my way, whether you like it or not."** Venom spat.

Akio was soon surrounded by Venom, forming a navy blue, muscular, humanoid figure. A white symbol of a devilish spider was shown on his front and back. Soon, the head formed, showing the inhumane teeth, along with the white eyes that appeared slanted. Overall, his appearance was frightening enough.

 **"Time for some cleanup!"** Venom shouted, scaring Kyoko and Shizuka nearby.

"Don't bother eating them!" Akio warned.

 **"Like I need a reminder!"** Venom retorted.

Venom began punching the dead with lethal force. One blow was enough to send a zombie flying and impact a wall head first. Seeing that a group was also tumbled, Venom shouted with glee.

 **"Strike!"** Venom playfully spoke.

Though Akio was now at the mercy of the Symbiote, he had no choice but to accept Venom's suggestion.

"Alright then... We'll have your fun, but don't start begging me for chocolate if you snap like this..." Akio argued.

 **"Don't forget the end of the bargain, nerd. Unless you want us to eat brains, we will have to consume chocolate."** Venom retorted.

Akio sighed as he provided mental tips to Venom of what to make, using his shapeshifting powers. This surprised the Symbiote, though he decided to use it.

 **"Oooh... I like the thinking that you're doing."** Venom said.

Venom soon created a wave of tendrils. They were sharp enough to pierce the zombies in their heads.

 **"Aren't we creative? I liked the barrage attack you thought** **of."** Venom said, clearly impressed.

Kyoko and Shizuka were surprised of what Akio did. Both teachers had questions of the student's actions, showing slight fear.

 **"You two can calm down. The turd is making sure you're alive."** Venom said, hunting a faint growl.

"What the heck are you?" Kyoko questioned.

 **"We...are Venom."** The Symbiote responded.

Soon, the suit began to disappear, leaving Akio behind. He looked somewhat discomforted due to the Symbiote's actions.

"Sorry about that. I wish we could talk about this, but more of them are coming..." Akio pointed out, seeing the undead bashing on the doors.

"Venom, think I can use your abilities? It would be helpful to ward them off." Akio requested.

 **"Fine by me. I could use a workout.** " Venom agreed.

Akio was able to use the Symbiote's abilities to form sharp tendrils, which pierced the dead. Much to the two adult's surprise, Akio seemed calm, almost appearing composed while he took their lives.

"Petridi-san... Why are you doing this...?" Kyoko questioned.

"Like it or not, they were once human, but now... They're no longer who we all know. These zombies are just a shell of their former selves. It's best to put them down." Akio said.

 **'That much I can agree.'** Venom said.

'Don't push it, Venom.' Akio said.

 **'Turd...'** Venom retorted.

Akio merely showed a poker face, making the Symbiote laugh.

"We should keep moving. The sooner we find more survivors, the better our chances for survival." Akio said.

Kyoko and Shizuka agreed, though they held their questions to Akio of his current abilities.

Takashi and Rei were pondering on what to do. The death of Hisashi was still ringing in their minds as his last words echoed.

"We can't stay here for long..." Takashi said.

"I know... Even..." Rei paused, knowing she was going to open old wounds.

Reluctant, Rei kept quiet. She could see Takashi already in an emotional turmoil.

"Is there anything we could use to stop them from reaching us? We can't go through the barricade." Takashi pointed out.

Rei soon stood up, leading Takashi to a fire hose. He soon got the idea.

"I get it now... Rei! Turn the hose on so we can blast them back." Takashi said.

"Got it!" Rei said.

She provided Takashi the hose and got ready to turn it on.

Elsewhere in the school. Two students were seen trudging through the school halls carefully. The first was a girl with girl of under-average height with long pink hair which she mostly keeps in two pony tails on either side of her head. Her hair also has two thin, long bangs at the sides, two thin strands of hair over the left side of her forehead, and a spiky larger portion of hair covering the right side of her forehead. She had fierce, orange eyes, portraying of her impolite, rude tone. A name tag was on her uniform which read Takagi Saya.

"Come on, fatso. We have to keep moving." The girl named Saya commanded with a rude tone.

The boy was short and had a chubby appearance. His brown hair was shoulder length. He was wearing the male uniform of the school. A feature he had was his glasses.

"Where are we going? Shouldn't we head to the Principal's office?" The boy asked.

Saya merely grunted as she looked at the place the boy mentioned. The entrance was overrun with students trying to survive.

"Those guys had the same idea. We all know that it would lead to panic since the Principal is dead. Instead of heading there, we need to find the carpentry classroom." Saya said.

"What purpose do we need to go there?" The boy asked.

"Think, Hirano Kohta. We need weapons to fight them." Saya answered.

"I remember they had a nail gun that uses compressed air. Let's head there then." The boy named Kohta realized.

Saya nodded as they ran through the hallways of the school.

Akio managed to take the zombies down, allowing some breathing room for everyone in the Infirmary.

"Okay, those guys are dead. We should be safe for now." He said.

"Now, how about talking to me about your new abilities?" Kyoko requested.

"Alright, but this might surprise you." Akio said.

Before he started explaining, Akio heard the male student coughing. He noticed a bite wound on his leg. This made him aware of what will happen. He walked to the student with a somber expression.

"You did your best in protecting Marikawa-sensei. Alas, you do realize what will happen once you get bitten, do you?" Akio asked.

The boy nodded, knowing he was about to die.

"Before I do what must be done, what is your name?" Akio asked.

"Ishii Kazu..." The boy named Kazu said weakly.

"Very well. I'll honor your name with mine. Petridi Akio." Akio said.

Kazu smiled as he was prepared to die. Akio turned his left arm into a blunt weapon. With a quick swing, a dull thud was heard. Kazu died from the blow.

"Why did you have to do that!? He could've lived long enough!" Kyoko screamed.

Akio grunted from the volume in pain.

"Keep your voice down... I had to do what I had to... He was aware of what will happen upon getting bitten from those zombies." Akio said.

"Even so, it's wrong." Kyoko argued.

"No, he's right..." A female voice said.

Everyone turned to see a girl reaching the end of her teenage years. She had long, straight and shiny purple hair along with a triangular fringe at the front that barely touches the ridge of her nose, and she is also shown to have blue eyes. She was wearing a long skirt version of her school uniform. She is quite tall for a Japanese girl. Despite her height, she had a voluptuous figure. A key feature was her pink lips, which appeared lustrous.

"Who are you?" Akio asked.

"Forgive my manners. I'm Busijjma Saeko, third year student and captain of the kendo club." The girl named Saeko introduced in a formal manner.

"I...understand your reasoning, Busijima-san. However, was it the right thing to do?" Kyoko asked.

"You want to turn into those then?" Saeko retorted, pointing to the zombies.

Both adults remained silent, knowing the answer. Akio decided to continue explaining about his abilities.

"I wish we could discuss about morality, but save that for later. Right now, I have a couple of people interested about my abilities so I'll explain as much as I can. Please try to follow along." Akio said.

It took a few minutes of questions and answers to Akio. Soon, everyone reluctantly understood what he has, though Saeko seemed more composed than the adults.

"So you have a symbiotic creature that bonded with you to the cellular level... It helped us survive from this point on..." Kyoko said.

"In an abridged explanation, yes." Akio confirmed.

"And it feeds on chocolate to sustain itself, lest you become a cannibal." Kyoko continued.

"As much as I don't want to admit, I'm afraid so. Hence why we agreed to consume anything that contains phenethylamine." Akio said.

"That chemical is not just found within the brain, but also in chocolate, certain types of fungi, or other foods. I know which ones that do so you will have a decent supply of it for the Symbiote." Shizuka realized.

"Pardon me for interrupting, but might I see this companion of yours?" Saeko asked.

Akio nodded. Venom soon appeared with his head shown emerging from the back. Everyone looked at the Symbiote with surprise.

"This is Venom..." Akio said.

 **"We are beings bonded for the purpose of survival. Like it or not, I'm with Akio to help. Without him, we wouldn't survive."** Venom said.

"Are there anymore of your kind?" Kyoko questioned.

 **"No. I'm the last of my kind since my home planet blew up due to a collapsing core. I managed to cocoon myself using a fragment of my home world before crash landing here."** Venom said.

"So that's why you arrived inside the meteor... You're basically the last of your kind. Kind of sad if you ask me." Akio sympathized.

 **"We may be the last of my kind, but we are willing to help protect you all since our survival starting today is dependent on teamwork."** Venom said.

"So that means you'll help us go through this zombie problem then." Saeko said.

 **"More benefit for me to fight them. Plus, that doctor was helpful in finding more information on which foods we can eat since our diet is mainly on the phenethylamine chemical."** Venom said.

"I'm a bit surprised, but hearing all the facts directly from you, I find no reason not to believe." Kyoko said.

 **"We don't harm the innocent. We only harm those that are deserving, like those corpses."** Venom said.

Akio felt the Symbiote's hunger. Reluctant, he went outside and found a vending machine that sold chocolate milk. Venom snaked his way inside and grabbed several containers, storing them in his body.

"We're lucky we found the drink. Let's hurry though. I have a feeling we may have attracted some attention." Akio said.

Making his way back to the Infirmary, Saeko, Shizuka and Kyoko were waiting for him. They noticed the cartons of chocolate milk he was holding.

"All the to curb Venom's hunger... I guess having his diet isn't so dangerous when you know what to eat." Kyoko commented.

"Well, it's not easy to describe. If I let Venom get hungry, we would start finding people who're bad to...cannibalize." Akio reluctantly answered.

"When you think of it, it does sound a bit mundane. Still, without our new companion, we wouldn't survive up to now, so we should be thankful." Kyoko realized.

 **"That goes without saying. In any case, let Akio do the talking. I'm needing my mouth some rest."** Venom said, disappearing within Akio's body.

"He's not much of a talking person so I'll be talking in his stead... Anyway, we should find more survivors. I had three people named Miyamoto, Komuro, and Igou head to the roof before the students went into a panic. We should find them on the way." Akio explained.

"That sounds reasonable. Let's make our way through to them." Saeko said.

Akio nodded his head.

"Venom, I may need to use your abilities. Is there a way you can shape shift my arms into a weapon?" Akio asked.

 **"Just think of one and I'll do the rest."** Venom replied.

"Fair enough." Akio said, concentrating on his arms to form sharp edges.

Saeko calmly walked alongside him, holding a bokken.

"You two have to stay close. Though they were once human, they can overwhelm us since their brain is no longer limiting their muscular system. A whole group can easily trample an iron gate." Akio warned.

"How can those things be killed?" Kyoko asked.

"Smash their heads. A sharp blow to the head will destroy their brains, killing them." Akio explained.

"How do you know this?" Shizuka questioned.

"Blame it on zombie media films and tv shows. Ironically, that's what the remaining survivors are doing." Akio commented.

Saeko and Kyoko snorted in response, but Akio's response was reasonable.

"Anyway, let's go find more survivors. The sooner we find them, the better." Shizuka said.

"Couldn't agree more." Akio said.

######

Within the carpentry class, Kohta and Saya were searching for tools to use as improvised weapons.

"Takagi-san, are you sure they have a nail gun in this place?" Kohta asked.

"Why do you think we came here, fatty? Help me look for it. I also found the nail magazines and compressor." Saya said with annoyance.

Both searched in separate drawers till Kohta found the nail gun.

"I found it." Kohta announces quietly.

"Good. With this, we have a chance to fight them." Saya said.

Kohta began examining the nail gun. He frowned, feeling the weight of it.

"It feels like an old rifle without a proper stock... I can't seem to aim it right, especially like a pistol. I need to improvise." Kohta said to himself.

"What are you doing, you military otaku? Are you losing your mind?" Saya questioned.

"Just thinking of what I'm about to do with this... Takagi-san, I need some boards and tape." Kohta requested.

"What are you...?" Takagi paused, observing what he was doing.

"Alright then. But let's hurry and craft what you're doing... They're coming in fast." Saya said, pointing to the door.

Kohta made quick work in forming a wooden stock on the nail gun, giving it an appearance of a rifle. He placed a sharpened pencil as an iron sight to the top. He also fashioned a steady grip, using the tape as a balancer. With his work complete, Kohta took aim at the door.

"Here they come...!" Saya exclaimed.

The door busted open. A group of five zombies came rushing in. Kohta shot them down one by one on the head. This surprised Saya, seeing his deadly accuracy.

"Takagi-san, can you please put the supplies in the bag? I'll hold them off." Kohta said.

"And why should I do your request!?" Saya exclaimed.

Kohta turned with maddened glee, which briefly frightened Saya. He soon calmed down and requested calmly.

"Alright then..." Saya reluctantly agreed.

Saya loaded the supplies, along with a drill in the bag. She and Kohta left the classroom.

######

Akio, Saeko, Kyoko and Shizuka were calmly walking through the hallways. The two teens calmly killed or pushed the zombies off their way. Shizuka was holding a first aid kit.

"Isn't it necessary to push them aside? You can just finish them off..." Shizuka observed.

"You're only seeing our actions, not their effect. Pushing them aside will cause them to hit the walls and floor headfirst. It's almost a sure fire way to kill them." Saeko said.

"In case they do sneak up on us, Venom will impale them before they had the chance." Akio reassured.

The two adults sighed in response. Soon, Shizuka squealed and suddenly fell on the floor. There were no zombies nearby.

'How can this woman be our doctor and be so clumsy...?' Akio thought.

 **'I could ask the same question, nerd.'** Venom said.

'How long are you going to keep calling me that?' Akio asked to Venom.

 **'Until you workout.'** Venom replied.

Akio scoffed in response. Shizuka began to complain of her clothes.

"Mou, I can't run well with this skirt on..." She said.

Saeko sighed before ripping the left part from below. It exposed Shizuka's left leg, inadvertently revealing her underwear.

"Kyaa! That skirt costed a fortune." Shizuka said in shock.

Akio shook his head while facepalming. He couldn't believe what he heard.

 **'For once, we can agree with how ditsy she is.** ' Venom said.

Saeko sighed with disbelief. She didn't like how Shizuka was acting.

"What's worth more to you, your life or your clothes?" She asked.

"Both!" Shizuka pouted.

Kyoko also shook her head, exacerbated.

'Better remind myself how she is the infirmary nurse...' Kyoko thought.

######

Takashi and Rei were fighting off the undead to make their way inside the school.

"Here they come!" He said.

Using his baseball bat, he swung at the ones closest to him on their heads. Rei used her makeshift spear to hit their heads hard enough to kill them.

"We don't have to fight them all. Let's make sure we reached to the way back." Takashi said.

"Okay." Rei said.

The two teens managed to make their way inside. They were somewhat exhausted after fighting off more zombies.

"So, what will we do?" Rei asked.

"We should find more survivors. Also, there's a possibility that our parents are still alive out there. It's a no-brainer that we have to search for them." Takashi said.

"Alright then. Let's go." Rei said.

Saya and Kohta were observing a group of zombies from a decent distance.

"What are you doing, Takagi-san?" Kohta asked, observing Saya holding two wet rags.

"Be quiet for a moment and watch." Saya whispered.

She hurled the first wet rag on to a zombie. It didn't react to object hurled on it.

"Noticed it didn't react to the object hurled at it?" Saya noticed, whispering.

"It's a given their senses are dead. They wouldn't feel anything." Kohta whispered back.

Saya then tossed another rag. She aimed it at a nearby locker which made a loud bang. The zombie noticed the noise and went to it, not attempting to move away.

"See how it went to the source of the noise? That must mean they hunt through echolocation." Saya deduced.

"Echolocation? Are you saying these guys are like bats?" Kohta asked.

"Not like bats, but close fatso. Almost all their senses are gone, save for hearing. It's a likelihood their blind, otherwise that zombie wouldn't be banging its head on the locker. We now know how they hunt." Saya said.

"Should we take them down?" Kohta asked.

"No, fat brain. We have the advantage. No point in wasting ammunition." Saya replied rudely.

The two teens vacated the area, now having knowledge of the zombies.

######

Akio, Saeko, Kyoko and Shizuka kept moving calmly, swatting zombies from left to right without care.

"Are you sure they went to the roof?" Kyoko asked.

"Better place to be at than in an enclosed space." Akio said.

"A wise decision. We should hurry though. With this much panic happening, they would come in a large swarm." Saeko said.

An echo of a projectile was heard. Knowing of possible survivors, Akio dashed forward. Saeko, Shizuka and Kyoko followed chase.

######

Kohta was fighting off a group of undead students. Both he and Saya encountered them. Since the hallways were quiet, the nail gun's noise evidently echoed.

"Since when did you had to start fighting them?" Saya asked with frustration.

"There were too many to pass through them... Plus, our steps can also be the factor." Kohta responded.

"Damn it. The school got quiet already... We have to fight through them, but it's too narrow..." Saya said.

"Takagi-san, I'm running low on ammunition!" Kohta said.

"Why are you announcing so loudly?" Saya asked.

"There's a hostile behind you!" Kohta pointed out.

Saya looked and noticed an undead near her face. She screamed in fright. Kohta checked the nail gun only to realize he ran out of ammo.

"Shit, I'm out!" Kohta said.

Quick footsteps were heard. Soon, Akio appeared, seeing the zombies nearby.

"It's go time, Venom." Akio said.

 **"Play time!"** The Symbiote said.

Akio created several tentacles that impaled the zombies around him. He made sure the tentacles only impaled the undead and leaving Kohta and Saya untouched. Both teens were shocked to see the display.

"Holy shit... Petridi-san, is that you?" Kohta asked.

"The one and only, Hirano-sempai." Akio answered.

One last zombie was heading to Saya. She was frozen stiff from the sudden experience. Akio quickly grabbed the zombie by the head and hurled it outside. This left her frozen in response.

"You okay?" He asked to Saya.

Saya snapped back into reality. Upon seeing Akio's abilities, she couldn't find any form of response, except quiver her mouth.

"We'll discuss this later... I know who you are, Takagi-sempai." Akio said.

"It's good to see that you know us, Petridi-san." Kohta replied.

Saeko, Shizuka, and Kyoko all arrived in time to see zombies with holes in their heads.

"Sorry we took off like that. We heard them and had to act quick before they get overwhelmed." Akio apologized.

"It's understandable, Petridi-san. You wanted to protect them." Saeko reassured.

"In any case, we know Hirano-sempai and Takagi-sempai." Akio said.

Soon, Takashi and Rei arrived. Akio noticed Hisashi wasn't there.

"Komuro-san, Miyamoto-san. Where is Igou-san?" Akio asked.

Both showed a somber expression. Akio realized what that meant.

"Oh... Our condolences for him..." He apologized.

"In any case, we should find a large room to discuss at. I know a teacher's lounge is near here." Shizuka said.

The group arrived in the lounge and introduced each other. They also discussed with Akio of his new abilities. Saya was shocked to hear his story, especially Kohta. Reassuring them, they now focused on the current situation. Saya also has to overcome her mental shock thanks to Shizuka soothing her.

"So... We now know the school is compromised due to the zombie fallout. We can't stay here too long since the noise they make will attract more." Saya explained.

"Even with a well-fortified barricade, they can tear it down in seconds... Takagi-sempai's right. We have to vacate the school." Akio said.

"How will we drive through the city with many of 'them' roaming out in the street?" Rei asked.

"Marikawa-san, we do have your car to use, correct?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes, but my car is a four passenger. We won't fit in that." Shizuka said.

"What about the school bus? That should accommodate." Akio suggested.

"That would work, but finding the keys will be the issue." Shizuka followed.

"Not to worry. I know what they look like. I stashed them in here so we're okay." Kyoko said, showing the keys.

"I can drive the school bus, but it's different than my car." Shizuka said.

"We don't have much time to discuss in safety, but we'll have to plow through 'them' to get out of the school." Kyoko said.

 **"We can agree on that. This place is no longer safe."** Venom said out loud.

"You know I find that creepy to see or even hear it." Saya commented with a shiver.

 **"We're the one who saved your life, missy. Don't attempt to push our patience.** " Venom spat.

Saya sighed in response. She put on glasses, much to Kohta's surprise.

"Irritating contact lenses?" Akio asked.

"Yeah... What's it to you?" Saya questioned.

Akio provided a small vial. To Saya's surprise, it was eye drops.

"Dry eye could be the issue. Moisturize them so you can keep them healthy." He said.

"I don't know whether you're a medical genius or just a kouhai." Saya commented with surprise.

"We all have our surprises, Takagi-sempai. We, meaning Venom and I, are just one of many." Akio said.

"Guys, we should also worry whether the world has this epidemic. Let's check the news and see." Rei said.

"Good point. Let's see for ourselves." Saya said.

The television within the lounge was on. Much to everyone's horror, Japan was not the only country experiencing the outbreak. The United States, Russia, China... The whole world was devastated from the zombie plague.

"This is no longer an epidemic... It's a pandemic. Whatever the pathogen is, it's wiping out humanity left and right. Whether this is nature's actions of overpopulating or its a biological warfare is irrelevant at this point. The problem is dealing with the issue at hand." Saya said.

"We know their method of infection is by biting the victim. Once a wound is opened, they slowly become one of 'them'. It's fair to say to avoid getting bitten." Akio said.

"They also react to sound as well. If possible, we can sneak past them without making too much noise." Saya said.

"Have you tested that theory out?" Akio questioned.

"Yes. Hirano witnessed me testing my hypothesis and confirmed it. However, I'm still skeptic on that." Saya said.

"So we need a live demonstration... I'll go if the opportunity presents itself." Akio said.

 **"Being noble all of a sudden, nerd? You do realize I can protect you with just a flick of a wrist."** Venom commented.

"Hence why, we need to rely on each other. If any of the zombies come at me when testing Takagi-sempai's theory, you can impale them right away." Akio said.

 **"Fair point. What will we do now that we have an advantage against those zombies?"** Venom asked.

"We have to help find their parents. I know some of them like the Takagi family, but the others may be close by. I'm sure you understand, Venom." Akio responded.

 **"I see your point, though my kind never considered anything about family. It's a foreign concept to us, but I understand you're willing to do so."** Venom agreed.

"That much we can both agree." Akio said, providing chocolate milk to Venom and himself.

 **"Cheers."** Venom jokingly said, drinking his carton.

Akio snorted in response. Everyone watched the interaction of Akio and Venom. Though the alien Symbiote was riddled with many questions in their thoughts, the interaction proved he can be trustworthy, if not, a joking being.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3: Conflict of interest

The group watched the news to see the zombie pandemic occurring around the world. Dead bodies suddenly rose, adding fear and paranoia where the reporters were. America, London, even Russia we're affected.

"Not just the town, but every part of the world will be experiencing pandemonium. At this rate, even the government will collapse." Saya said.

" **We know how that works."** Venom said.

"And how do you know?" Saya questioned.

" **Remember Resident Evil? Though it was a movie series, it shows what happens when a pandemic such as this occurs. All infrastructures and foundations will start collapsing like dominoes."** Venom explained.

"A crude example, but he's right..." Kyoko said.

"Like it or not, this sudden pandemic occurred quietly. It was as though no one expected it." Akio followed.

"The world was doing okay a moment ago. It didn't had any details of this case happening." Kohta said in denial.

"Probably something the government wanted to hide... Since the outbreak occurred too quickly, the information from the media may have been suppressed in an attempt to contain the problem. However, look what it had lead to." Akio said.

"Aren't we smart?" Saya complimented.

"Like it or not, the mainlands will be dangerous to be in. If anything, only island countries or isolated areas will be safe. As long as one doesn't get bitten, it'll be a safe haven, but it won't alleviate the ever present threat. Our way of life has already changed the moment those zombies came in." Akio solemnly said.

"Quite a realistic view..." Takashi said.

" **An unfortunate part that we must endure. Seeing that we're now here with survivors, we all have to work together to survive."** Venom said.

"Our point exactly, Venom. As mentioned earlier, it's a pandemic." Akio said.

"An infection that spreads across the globe." Saya defined.

"Yes, that's what it means. Problem is, this new infection is unknown, considering we don't know what pathogen it is. It may be a viral strain, due to how fast it suddenly infects. Bacteria would show cultures, but it's slow." Akio explained.

"This pandemic will be worse than all the other ones we had in history." Saya commented.

"Like the Spanish Flu, Black Death, even the Swine Flu?" Rei questioned.

"Those are examples, but this outbreak makes them look like a cakewalk. All pandemic cases caused the populations to reduced drastically. The Swine Flu, though a pandemic, wasn't as impacting than its seasonal cousin. The current problem is, the infected won't stay dead." Saya said.

"We already seen the effects, so it's evident the infection won't stop." Saeko said.

"But what about the temperature? Since they're corpses, they should be decaying to the point it'll be useless for them to move." Shizuka said.

"And you know how long this process takes?" Saya questioned.

"For most parts of the body, it may take 3 weeks for late decomposition, especially during the summer. However, if the seasons change to winter, it may take longer. About 3 months..." Shizuka responded.

"Time is a luxury we can't afford. If those common rules of medicine were to be applied, then how could they be still moving?" Saya questioned.

"Reanimating... Whatever pathogen is involved, it's reanimating the cells in the bodies. Basically, bringing them back from the dead." Akio responded.

"Well, we have some theories to talk of. More importantly, we need to seek a haven for us to secure our family members. We'll have to check for them." Saya said.

"That I couldn't agree more." Saeko said.

"It would be ideal for us to work as a team." Akio suggested.

"I agree. If we go on our own, we won't survive individually." Rei followed.

" **Then let's get ready to move."** Venom said.

######

Akio and the others now had a plan to get through the school. With their new objective to leave the school, they now had to make their way to the bus.

"We should keep ourselves as quiet as possible. Takagi-sempai said 'they' react to any sounds so let's not make any, especially if they echo." Akio reminded.

"I got this one." Kohta said.

"Nail gun... Nice." Akio said.

" **We got our tricks."** Venom said.

Remembering Venom's abilities, Akio shape shifted his arms into sharp blades. He was ready to impale any zombie within their range.

"Don't forget. We need to help any survivors encountered. Don't risk losing the opportunity." Saeko said.

"A reminder to take under advisement." Kohta said.

"Oh yeah. Take these rounds. Found them lying in the Infirmary. Thought they would reload your weapon, Hirano-sempai." Akio said.

Kohta took the new nails and pocketed them.

"The front door is where we need to go. Let's hurry but keep quiet. No doubt the undead welcoming party is out there." Akio said.

"Sometimes I wonder who's the dominant being... You or the parasite..." Saya commented off-handed.

" **PARASITE!? Apologize!"** Venom bellowed.

"Venom...! Easy there!" Akio said.

Venom growled before keeping himself calm. Akio gave it more chocolate milk to soothe it.

"Takagi-sempai, never refer Venom as a parasite for once. We have a hair-trigger response to that..." Akio warned.

"Duly noted..." Saya said, shaken.

The group noticed several zombies wandering nearby. Venom, still feeling peeved from Saya's comment, sprouted shape tentacles that pierced them in the head. It all happened in a second before a sound of flesh being torn was heard. All the corpses collapsed at the same time.

"Remind me not to anger them..." Saya commented.

######

The group found themselves getting close to the door. They saw a large group of zombies outside.

"Just to remind everyone, it isn't necessary to take them all down. If there's an opportunity, use it to flee." Saeko said.

"Also, they hunt through sound. Don't bellow out or you'll attract them." Saya said.

"I just reminded everyone that a moment ago..." Akio huffed.

"They're strong enough to go through normal doors. Don't let them grab on to you, or it's over." Kohta said.

A loud scream suddenly echoed. Akio reacted in slight pain, but rushed to the source. A small group of 4 students, two boys and two girls were shown, holding improvised blunt weapons. There were 6 zombies surrounding them.

'Venom, time for some action.' Akio thought.

'You got it.' Venom responded.

Akio jumped from a full story and landed on a zombie's head, crushing it. He changed his arms into blades, impaling the other 2 zombies. Takashi leaped into action, slamming the baseball bat on one in the head. Saeko merely knocked it aside down the stairs, causing it to tumble. Kohta finished it with a well-aimed shot to the head. Rei soon impaled the last one with her makeshift spear.

"T-thank..." One of the girls briefly spoke.

"Not too loud. Whisper." Akio said.

"None of you were bitten?" Saeko asked.

All of them shook their heads.

"Good. We made it in time." Akio said.

"Dude, what was with your arms? They turned into swords or something..." One of the boys asked.

"I'll explain later. We got a current threat to deal with." Akio said, pointing to the walking zombies downstairs.

"In any case, you guys want to come with us? We're leaving the school to search for our parents and relatives." Takashi said.

The small group nodded. The zombies from below all groaned as they walked in a blind search for their prey.

"There's no point in hiding. They only use hearing to hunt." Saya said.

"Well then. It's a perfect time for a live demonstration... I'll go and see if Takagi-sempai's theory is right." Akio whispered.

"What!? Are you crazy?" Kyoko asked.

"I'm the one with shapeshifting abilities. I could take them down if they sneak up on me." Akio reminded.

"Oh... But please be careful..." Kyoko requested.

"Will do." Akio said.

"Good luck, Petridi-san." Saeko said.

Akio slowly walked downstairs. Kyoko grew increasingly worried for him, even attempted to stop him.

"It's his decision to make that he choose to go there, Kyoko-sensei. He also has the Symbiote within him to help in case any of them attack." Saeko reassured.

"Now I envy how it can be helpful to us..." Saya commented.

Akio watched as the zombies wandered about, blindly hitting anything. One of them was approaching him, but he merely stepped aside. The zombie didn't pay any attention and just kept moving.

'They're blind, it seems.' Akio confirmed.

' **They are, indeed. You got guts, turd, I'll admit that.'** Venom said.

'Since it came to that...' Akio thought.

He turned left arm into a long spear. He stabbed at a locker, which got every zombie to head to the where the noise occurred. They all walked their way to the locker, clearing off the front door. Akio slowly opened the door, making sure the hinges don't make any noise. He signaled everyone to come down. The group made their way out. The last male was holding a large metal pole. He almost bumped the handrail of the staircase, but Akio stopped it by extending his right arm to catch it.

"W-What-!?" The student male said, before having his mouth covered with a familiar black slime.

Akio made the familiar gesture of hushing, telling the male student to be quiet. He gently lifted the pole off, holding it above him. He then released him gently, allowing the male student to catch up quietly.

'That was too close...' Akio thought.

' **No kidding. That turd almost made them aware.'** Venom agreed.

Everyone was outside of the school, quietly assessing the path to the bus.

"There's too many of them..." Kyoko said.

"How the heck can we fight this many?" Saya asked.

"Leave that to us." Akio said, holding the large metal pole with one arm.

He soon got in front, flailing the pole around which knocked the zombies off course. This created a clear path, allowing everyone to sneak forward. Everyone was surprised of his strength, glad that he was helping them.

"Wait..." Akio requested.

Everyone pondered what he meant till he hurled the pole far off. It landed on the concrete, alerting the zombies to head to the source. This surprised the new survivors, but Takashi and the others knew what he was doing.

"That should keep them busy. Get on the bus, quickly..." Akio said.

The zombies went to the pole instead of the people rushing in to the bus. Akio made sure none of them were caught by the zombies, impaling the corpses through their heads with Venom's shape shifting powers.

" **This is becoming fun and interesting."** Venom said.

"For you, it is. We've only bonded for about two days so I'm still a novice on this new power." Akio mused.

" **You're getting smarter on how to use my powers. Plus, you got two chicks who're worried for you. I'd say we hit the jackpot."** Venom said.

"Venom...! Not the time for teasing." Akio complained.

The symbiote made a chuckling sound, laughing at his host's embarrassment. While fending off the zombies, everyone got on board the bus safely.

"Everyone's in. Akio, let's go." Takashi said.

From the distance, there was a another group of students. Among them, there was a male person whom Akio showed such animosity by growling loudly like an animal. He was wearing a pinstripe suit and appeared lanky. The person was wearing glasses.

" **Bad guy?"** Venom asked.

"Someone who's despicable. We'll deal with him later. We got a present threat here!" Akio said.

" **Alright. I'll hold you in to that."** Venom said.

Rei was visibly angry, recognizing the man. She didn't like seeing him.

"Let's go... We shouldn't rescue that person." Rei coldly responded.

"What are you saying? We should help them." Takashi argued back.

Due to the constant fighting, Akio was attracting more of the dead. He kept impaling them as they walked towards him. Takashi and the others watched as Akio kept fighting off the zombies in a brutal fashion.

"What are you guys waiting for, an invitation!? Get out of here, now!" Akio shouted.

Soon, the adult male with the running group managed to catch up. However, a male student holding textbooks soon tripped and sprained his ankle. He was wearing glasses.

"Shido-sensei, I sprained my ankle! Please help me!" The student begged.

"In this new world, the strong prosper but the weak will have to be thrown off like the trash they are." The man named Shido coldly stated.

Shido stomped on the student on his face. The force shattered the glasses, impaling him with broken glass. The student flailed, attracting more of them.

"Let's this be a lesson to you." Shido said.

Akio saw the ordeal and was pissed. No, he was angry and Venom felt his host's anger.

"Venom... We'll deal with Koichi Shido when we get out of here... I'll let you have your fun with him..." Akio growled.

" **Thought you never asked."** Venom said.

Akio jumped up to the roof of the bus before entering it formally. Shizuka was able to start it up and began stepping on the gas.

"Don't hesitate! Ram them down!" Takashi said.

Shizuka, with a heavy heart, made the bus drive forward, splattering any zombie in the way. During the process, she managed to ram the school bus through the gate.

######

Akio was able to catch a breather, but he was still angry. Takashi noticed it, along with everyone in his group.

"You'll regret not leaving him back there..." Akio heard from Rei.

"Let's introduce ourselves, first." Saeko said.

"I'm Takuzo, and this is my girlfriend, Naomi." The boy named Takuzo said, introducing the girl he's with.

Takuzo was an average appearing male, wearing the school uniform of Fujimi academy. He had dark hair and fiery red eyes. His girlfriend, Naomi, has raven colored hair with brown eyes. She was wearing the female uniform of the same school. She had freckles on her face in a triangular shape.

"Well, glad to see that we all made it one piece." Akio said.

There was another girl whom was also grateful. She was a red haired girl with brown eyes.

"M-my name is Kawamoto." The girl introduced shyly.

"Well, pleasure to meet you all. Before we discuss anything about what I can do, it's best to sit down and listen." Akio said.

Rei looked livid to see the male adult in the bus. She only listened to Akio's story once again as he explained to the other survivors.

'I'll never get used to it. Still better than listening to Shido.' Rei thought.

The new survivors began asking questions till Venom took over to answer them. Needless to say, it was fun watching their reaction to the Symbiote.

"Marikawa-sensei, hit the gas and let's get out of here." Akio said.

"Got it. Everyone hold on!" Shizuka said.

She hit the gas pedal and made the bus dashed through a small crowd of the zombies. Soon, it went through the school gate, leaving the premises.

######

Everyone was able to relax as the bus drove down the hill. Shido decided to talk to the teens at the front.

"You certainly have strength to save us. Are you the leader, Petridi-san?" Shido asked.

Akio stood up and growled beastly at Shido, causing him to back away in fear.

" **Do not touch** us a **gain!"** Akio said, mixing with Venom's voice.

Shido knew he was triggering Akio, keeping a safe distance away.

"Nice one scaring him." Rei said.

"Don't mention it." Akio commented.

"The city!" Takuzo said.

Several clouds of ash and fire were seen from a distance.

"The whole city is devastated..." Akio said.

Soon, one of the male students with Shido started to argue incomprehensibly. He had bleached yellow hair on top with brown hair below. The teen was wearing the male Fujimi High School uniform, and unlike the other students, he wore slippers instead of regular shoes. Under his uniform he was wearing a blue high-collar sweater that is unbuttoned slighly. He was looking for someone or something to blame. Lost in his rage, he began focusing on Akio.

"Why the hell are we heading to the city!? Shouldn't we be hiding in the school!? Also, why should we listen to orders from you guys!? You just decided to leave to the city!" The male student yelled.

Everyone in Takashi's group showed a discontent expression, knowing that going back will be a fatal outcome. Akio was struggling to hold back his groaning from the immense volume of the male's voice. Saeko noticed he looked distressful, if not, in pain.

"Dude... Calm your voice down, Tsunoda... This is not the time to argue." Akio reasoned calmly, holding his anger at bay.

"What are you proposing to do?" Saeko asked, cleaning her bokken.

"I can't stand this guy! He's a freak with that parasite in his body!" Tsunoda yelled.

Akio had enough, causing Venom to form over his body. The Symbiote was giving a growling noise that intimidated Tsunoda. Soon, Venom grabbed Tsunoda on the throat, lifting him up.

" **Eyes... Lungs... Pancreas... Kidneys... So many snacks, so little time to choose which ones..."** Venom said.

Everyone realized Venom was about to tempt Akio with cannibalism. The Symbiote made his long tongue slither on Tsunoda, scaring him enough to urinate his pants.

" **Listen closely. You call me a parasite again and I'll rip your throat off and gut you like a damn fish. Got that?"** Venom warned.

Tsunoda nodded his head rapidly. Takashi and the other smirked at seeing Akio handling Tsunoda.

" **Good. Now sleep!"** Venom bellowed, throwing Tsunoda at the back seat, knocking him out temporarily.

Clapping was heard from Shido, whom had a snake-like smile on his face. However, he kept his distance, knowing Akio would lash out.

"I'm impressed in how you were able to handle the situation. But, seeing that conflict suddenly aroused in the occasion, there must be a leader to guide them." Shido said.

"Are we to presume that you qualify yourself as one?" Saya asked.

"Well, I happen to be a teacher from our former school. That alone should qualify my reasoning. I would end all conflict within the group here." Shido explained in a false, exaggerated action.

The students that were with Shido all clapped. However, seeing the multiple people not clapping for him made him angry.

"The vote count of making you leader, Shido-sensei, shows you're not qualified. Quit running your mouth, sit down, and shut the fuck up." Akio snarled, briefly showing Venom's eyes.

Shido wisely heeded the command, not wanting to get Akio's bad side. Tsunoda also noticed after waking up and didn't want to fight him.

"Nice one, Petridi-san." Rei said with glee.

"Never did liked the snakehead's mouth running loose. Figured I would keep him quiet." Akio responded.

"Talk about being a badass." Kohta said.

Akio chuckled in response, preferring the company of Takashi's group. Seeing him stand up against Shido made everyone look at him with a positive outlook. Even Takuzo and Naomi liked how he was protective.

"He may be scary, but Akio and Venom were the ones who protected us." Takuzo said.

"He saved our lives and made sure we're safe." Naomi replied.

"I don't care what he within him. Whether he has another being within him or not, he saved us." Kawamoto said with a shy smile.

Most of the members of Takuzo's group agreed to be with Takashi, feeling safe with Akio. Venom paid them no mind, liking their company.

" **I like that girl who uses that sword."** Venom commented.

"Venom! Not now..." Akio blushed.

Saeko noticed Akio blushing, consider he was sitting next to her. Much to his embarrassment, she decided to be curious.

"What are you two talking about?" She asked.

"Nothing." Akio replied, appearing stiff.

"Your face is turning red. Are you sure?" Saeko persisted.

"I insist it's nothing." Akio responded.

Saeko didn't want to pester Akio any further. She noticed how tense he appeared.

'Geez, Venom. That was completely random to mention anything related to that.' Akio complained.

The Symbiote shared a chuckle in response. It didn't help how embarrassed Akio was.

######

Hours have elapsed. It was currently night time. Rei looked twitchy, not wanting to be near Shido's presence any longer. She recalled earlier seeing Akio threaten him, but it appeared that didn't deter the teacher.

"Everyone, I'm more qualified in being a leader. I can ensure your survival if you join me and my students." Shido offered.

"Not on my watch. Keep your influence to yourself, lest you want me to silence that mouth." Akio said, telepathically telling Venom to wrap on his arms.

"Oh? Aren't we a rebellious one? Too bad for you, the New World order won't allow such behavior." Shido said.

Akio's patience ran thin. Shido noticed the Symbiote forming in response to his anger.

"I'm warning you to shut your fucking mouth...! You're a nuisance..." Akio shouted, clearly expressing his disdain to Shido.

Everyone was alerted by the shout. Akio looked tense, almost comparable to Rei's disgust. The spear user watched as she knew Shido was irritating him. It made her yearn for him to suffer. Much to her frustration, Shido obeyed. He kept quiet as he sat down. Shizuka thanked whatever deity that made Akio silence the teacher.

"We're tired enough because of events happening in the school. Keep it down." Shizuka said to the group.

"Ah, I rather keep the people in check. I'm still able to lead thanks to my wisdom."

Shido said, showing a hidden, venomous smile.

Though his group didn't notice, Takashi's group was able to see through his lies. It made Rei had enough of his presence.

"I'm leaving!" She said.

"Rei, wait!" Takashi said.

"Oh? Looks like Miyamoto won't join my leadership. Too bad, such a waste." Shido said.

Akio had enough. Disgusted by Shido's speech, he merely backhanded the teacher, knocking him unconscious.

######

Outside, Rei had a hidden delight seeing Shido being silenced. She couldn't take being in the bus with him.

"Rei, wait up!" Takashi shouted.

"I told you that you'll regret saving him! Why didn't you listen?" Rei said to Takashi.

"I don't know why you have such an attitude to Shido, but I'm thinking it had to do with last year. You never told me what happened that day and I was trying to figure out what was wrong." Takashi argued back.

Rei was silent, knowing she didn't share any info to Takashi of a past event with her and Shido. Much to her regret, she realized her repercussions.

'I'm sorry... I couldn't say what happened at that time.' Rei thought.

A loud car horn was blaring with increasing noise. Rei and Takashi had enough time to see a bus overrun with zombies and evading it.

"Oh shit... RUN!" Takashi said.

Shizuka drove the school bus back as the public transport bus raced its way through the street. Takashi and Rei quickly went to a nearby tunnel from an overpass to evade the bus. Unfortunately, they were cut off from an over bridge tunnel, due to the oncoming bus flipping on its side. Due to the crash, the gas tank was ruptured, which caused flames to sprout.

"Komuro-sempai! Miyamoto-sempai! Are you two okay!?" Akio shouted from the outside area.

"We're both okay!" Takashi said.

Akio had to recoil from the heat, remembering Venom's abhorrence to the high temperatures.

'Shit, I can't get close to anything loud or hot.' He thought.

"Listen, is there any place where we can regroup!?" Akio asked.

"We'll regroup at the East Police Station!" Takashi answered.

"What time!?" Akio asked.

"Around 7 PM! If we can't make it today, we'll try tomorrow!" Takashi said.

Several zombies soon got out of the flaming bus. All were enshrouded in fire, looking ghastly in appearance. Akio, due to Venom's reaction of flames, moved back. He then noticed the corpses collapsing seconds after exiting the bus.

'Venom, did you see that?' Akio communicated telepathically.

'I did. Those corpses don't last in fire either. Now we know another vital weakness to sort them.' Venom observed.

He then called out to Takashi.

"Komuro-san, we can use our cell phones to communicate!" Akio said.

"We could have thought that one out earlier!" Takashi remarked.

"I'll figure out a way! Get out of the tunnel! The bus might explode!" Akio said.

He quickly went back inside the bus.

"Marikawa-sensei! Move the school bus back! The public transportation bus might explode at any moment!" Akio said.

"Got it!" Shizuka responded.

She reversed the bus just in time as a sudden spark was heard from the gas tank.

######

Takashi and Rei raced their way out of the tunnel as they heard several sparks from the downed bus. Soon, they barely made it outside as the bus violently exploded. A river of fire raced its way out of the tunnel before exposing itself out in the open. The flames soon dissipated, giving the two teens some breathing room. There was a nearby hill.

"That was too close..." Takashi commented.

Their guard was down, allowing a zombie to suddenly tumble at Takashi. He was able to hold it off, thanks to a bike helmet on its head, preventing the zombie from biting him. It was turning into a struggle as the zombie's inhibitions of muscle usage were gone, allowing it to briefly overpower Takashi. Rei quickly bashed the zombie from the back of the head with a small boulder, killing it. Thankfully, he wasn't bitten.

"That was a hairy experience..." Takashi said.

"That man had a bike parked somewhere nearby." Rei pointed out.

"The helmet was the clue... It should be close. Judging how less damaged it looked, he must have been one not too long ago." Takashi noticed.

Above the nearby hill, there was a Kawasaki bike parked nearby. Takashi noticed the keys were still in the engine.

"We were lucky to find this bike... Let's hurry to the East Police Station. Hope the route to reach it isn't blocked." Takashi said.

He started the bike as Rei got on to the back. Both drove through the city as the light of the twilight sun began to fade.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4: Tensions within. Shared bond.

Akio was still awake. It was already midnight, indicating the first day of the zombie outbreak had elapsed.

'Let's hope this traffic doesn't impede everyone from escaping the undead...' He thought to himself.

 **'I would recommend thinking in a realist's point of view.'** Venom said.

"Venom." Akio said.

 **"This world was once beautiful before the outbreak. Now, it's a sad reminder."** Venom said, hinting a somber tone.

"Yeah... We'll have to survive through any means necessary... I won't like it, but it's now a high-stakes time." Akio commented.

Saeko heard the conversation and was curious.

"Having a talk with Venom?" Saeko asked.

"Just some opinions to share." Akio answered.

"You two can speak to one another either physically or mentally?" Saeko asked.

"You can say that. A private conversation is possible between us." Akio confirmed.

"Sounds pretty useful to have." Saya complimented.

 **"Better with two heads instead of one."** Venom commented.

"That I would agree without question." Akio said.

An announcement was soon heard from the local police.

"Everyone! Please remain in your vehicles! Do not vacate your cars for any reason!" The announcement said.

Akio and Venom growled as the sound waves were painful to both host and Symbiote. Saya, Kohta, Saeko, Shizuka, Kyoto, Takuzo and Naomi were worried for him. Soon, Akio motioned then to come close so he can whisper to the group.

"My friend here has a serious abhorrence to loud sounds and high temperatures. Like it or not, they affect me as much they affect him." Akio said.

 **"Grrr... Make those blasted noises stop..."** Venom said with disdain.

Akio quickly closed the windows to lessen the power of the sound waves from the loudspeakers. Much to Shido's and Tsunoda's reluctance, they didn't want to cause a fight.

 **"Thanks. It's a little comfortable now."** Venom said with relief.

"Don't mention it." Akio said, providing Venom some chocolate milk.

 **"Yummy."** Venom joked, drinking the chocolate milk.

Everyone in Takashi's group laughed as the Symbiote had its meal of chocolate.

"I've been meaning to ask, but how much does Venom eat to keep himself sustained?" Saya questioned.

 **"I'm not some tapeworm if that's what you're implying... I do require some chocolate to sustain myself because of the chemical it contains. My kind feed on what is called Phenethylamine. Since my host is able to procure it due to his diet, I can essentially eat just like any normal human.** " Venom explained.

"Well, at least we now know what you feed on. It is a stimulant produced in the brain. But, it's not just found in chocolate or fungi. You can even find it in lentil, beans, seafood, seeds, even raw egg whites as well." Saya explained.

"Oh, lentil..." Akio drooled comically.

Venom laughed in response. Everyone looked at Akio as he had an euphoric expression on his face.

"Sounds like we share the same tastes." Kohta said.

"Sorry, I'm pretty weak when I smell or even talk about it. That stuff is too good in my opinion." Akio said.

 **"Now that kind of feast, I'll enjoy as well. You're a more compatible host for me than I give credit for."** Venom commented.

"Welcome to my diet plan. Since there are plenty of natural food products that have what we need, I'm content with that." Akio spoke.

"Sounds like you have it all under control with finding a meal for Venom. I always see you munching on chocolate during the lunch period." Kyoko realized.

"I use it to help me focus in class. Now, it's a vital component for both mine and Venom's meal ticket." Akio said.

 **"Though I'll have to confess, Japanese cooking is a paradise for us to eat."** Venom said.

"Aren't we proper?" Akio joked.

 **"Better being a good critic on my preferred meals."** Venom spoke back.

"You got me. We share the same tastes." Akio said.

Venom laughed, liking how Akio was agreeing with the Symbiote. A loud scream from outside got everyone's attention.

 **"Sounds like a panic. Can we head out have some fun?"** Venom asked.

"Hold on, Venom. I know it's not your style to lay low, but we need to watch what's happening first." Akio said.

 **"Head up to the roof of the bus to see."** Venom suggested.

Everyone was surprised in what Venom suggested. Akio went to Shizuka to ask on opening the door.

"Marikawa-sensei, please open the school bus door. We need to assess the situation." Akio said.

"Okay, but please come back in." Shizuka said, worried for Akio.

She opened the door, allowing Akio to leap out.

He soon jumped to the roof of the school bus to get a better view. Everyone in the bus watched with surprise as Akio effortlessly leaped over 10 feet in the air.

'Looks like we found the reason for the scream...' Akio thought.

 **'Yeah... Rotten sacks of human skin.'** Venom commented, seeing the zombies.

Several police officers were firing bullets at a zombie. All didn't hit the head, causing the zombie to stumble.

 **'How do they keep missing their shots like that? How pathetic.'** Venom thought.

"Tell me about it... I heard what you were thinking so I would ask the same thing. Either way, let's clean up this mess for them." Akio said.

 **"Finally. Some fun time."** Venom said.

Akio leaped into action, turning his arms into sharp blades. He stabbed the zombie before it got close to the officers.

"You guys okay?" Akio asked.

"What the hell was that!? What are you!?" The officer asked frantically.

"Listen closely and keep your head together... That was a zombie. He was no longer human since he didn't respond to your bullets." Akio explained.

The officer took a moment to inhale and exhale, getting his sanity at check.

"Alright. I may not know much of this threat than you do, kid, but I'll take your word for it. That doesn't explain what you are though." The officer said.

"Oh, I have a sentient being called a Symbiote that gave me the abilities you saw. Without him, I wouldn't help you or the squad." Akio said.

The officer noticed several officers looking wary, but they felt grateful for Akio's sudden arrival. They knew he wasn't going to cause problems.

"With that said, I'll return to the vehicle I came from. You have to keep doing your job escorting those that are not bitten by the undead out of the city." Akio said.

"Thanks kid. Mind if you share me your name?" The officer asked.

Akio smirked as Venom emerged from his back. The officer remained calm, though he seemed peeved.

"We **are Venom**." Akio and Venom said together.

Sensing an immediate threat, Akio turned to see a zombie suddenly latch on to him. Venom, in reflex, responded by pushing it hard. It was pushed back on a pole, but not enough to topple it down the road. Akio responded by swiping his arm, cutting the zombie's head down.

"The only way to take the zombies down is to destroy their heads. Use whatever means necessary to neutralize them with the advice I gave you." Akio informed the officer.

The officer nodded, informing his squad of the knowledge he was told from Akio. Now understanding the situation, they all stood with their spirits resolved. It was though their underlying fear was gone. In replace, they were determined to protect the citizens fleeing the city. Having done his fun for a brief moment, Akio decided to look for more zombies to clear out.

"Venom, this party isn't over. Let's take care of sorting out the undead." Akio suggested.

 **"All the more fun for us."** Venom said.

Akio smirked as he and Venom watched each other, fighting off an approaching horde of zombies.

Takashi and Rei were still on the motorbike they found earlier. The silence proved to not alleviate their concerns. As they kept driving to the location of interest, they both saw the current conditions of the city. Blood splatters and corpses were all over the area. All the corpses had holes in their heads. The only sound that echoed was the motorbike engine. Everything else was deathly quiet.

'It's hard to believe that all of this occurred in just a few hours... All of this might have happened before we even noticed...' Takashi thought, recalling the events from his school up to now.

Rei wasn't fairing any better. The death of her boyfriend was still prevalent in her mind. She looked depressed and quietly leaned on Takashi's back.

'My father didn't realize it was me when I called him... Now, Hisashi is dead because of them.' She thought, remembering the zombies.

Both didn't say anything to each other as the time was now midnight. Takashi kept his focus on the road, heading to the Police Station.

Takashi and Rei arrived at the Police Station. Unfortunately for them, they didn't see the school bus at all. It was also quiet as well.

"There's no on here..." Takashi observed.

"Where could they be?" Rei questioned.

"They might have fled or..." Takashi paused, not wanting to finish his statement.

Rei knew he was being respectful, but she didn't want to believe the latter.

"If they were dead, they would be wandering about right now..." She finished.

"Most likely the majority fled. 'They' are not here since that's where most of the officers would be in." Takashi said.

"The officers might have moved to a different location due to the current threat." Rei deduced.

"An officer's job is to protect civilians... I would have to agree with what you said, Rei..." Takashi said.

"Takashi, look over there." Rei pointed.

Both teens noticed a police car that was active. The lights were on, but the engine wasn't.

"We're driving illegally so let's get ourselves a ticket." Takashi joked.

Rei laughed in response, though she still felt edgy. They looked up close to assess what was wrong. Two officers were dead on the front. Both crushed their heads.

"They must have hit the brake too hard to bash their heads in... Probably due to what surprised them. They weren't bitten though." Takashi said.

"They didn't had their seat belts on either." Rei observed.

Takashi soon smelled a particular chemical. He instantly realized what it was.

"Careful Rei... That police car is leaking." Takashi warned, heading straight to her.

Rei carefully looked inside the police car. She found a Smith and Weston M37 revolver. There was also a nightstick she could use.

"Here, Takashi." Rei said, presenting the revolver to him.

"I never thought I would be holding a gun..." Takashi commented.

He soon felt the weight of the weapon. It felt heavy on his palm.

"What's wrong?" Rei asked.

"It feels heavy..." Takashi remarked.

"It's obviously real. It wouldn't weigh that light." Rei said.

Takashi began fumbling on the revolver, careful not to pull the trigger. He soon found the mechanism to pull the barrel out to see the ammunition.

'I only got 5 shots?' Takashi thought with surprise.

Rei had additional bullets she took from another officer. The same gun she found was damaged and could not be used.

"Here, Takashi. The other gun's hammer was destroyed, but the bullets should be okay to use." She said.

"I guess learning from the police chief has its perks of knowing your weapons." Takashi remarked.

He pocketed the bullets. The two teens had nothing else to find. They both drove through the quiet, dead city.

Akio was constantly attacking a horde of zombies. Each one had their heads either decapitated or exploded. Several police officers were providing assistance as he took them out. They fired their guns to any of them wandering off.

"There's no end to these things." Akio remarked.

 **"No kidding. I didn't think you would have the stamina to fight this long."** Venom said.

"Hey, I may not look like it, but I keep myself fit." Akio nitpicked.

Venom laughed as he made sure to watch for Akio from behind. Though he left the host's left arm turned into a blade, he knew when to cover at his right. Both worked in conjunction, killing the zombies, thinning their numbers.

"Venom, time to end this. Let's give them a barrage." Akio suggested.

 **"Party's over... How sad, but so much fun."** Venom remarked.

Akio focused on making Venom forming thin, sharp tendrils. They all sprouted from his body, impaling the remaining zombies through their heads. All fell on the ground, never to move. This left Akio exhausted.

"Whew... That was quite a rush." Akio exhaled.

 **"I'll say. I'm also tired too. Let's head back to the bus and rest...** " Venom said.

"I agree." Akio followed.

 **"How many cartons of chocolate milk we have left?"** Venom asked.

"About 5 left. We're running short of our food supply." Akio answered.

 **"We might last for a bit. Too bad the stores are far away from here."** Venom said.

Exhausted from the constant fighting, Akio leaped his way back to the school bus to meet with Takashi's group. The officers watched as the young man leaped back to where he came from.

Takashi's group quickly brought him in the bus the moment he arrived.

"Damn, Akio... You wiped out a horde of them." Kohta remarked.

"I know... Had to clear the streets so things will be calm for us during the night." Akio said.

"It was a good effort to hold them off. Even reassuring for the officers." Saya commented.

"They're doing their job so I had to help. I can't leave them to fend off that horde." Akio said.

"You stood bravely to fight them. That alone makes you a fine man, Petridi-san." Saeko complimented with a smile.

"Thanks." Akio said.

"Are you feeling okay, Petridi-san? You look exhausted." Shizuka asked.

"Constant fighting will do that, but we'll manage. Nothing like a little chocolate to help recover. Though it's already night, so we will probably fall asleep." Akio said.

He provided a carton to Venom, whom drank the contents. Akio had another prepared as he drank his. Overcome with fatigue, he fell asleep.

"He pushes himself hard to fight them... I never seen anyone that willing to go this far for anyone." Kyoko said.

"He gave it his all to make sure panic didn't spread. He knew what he did." Takuzo said.

"I can trust him. He did save us when we were in a pinch." Naomi agreed.

Shido heard them and was livid. He kept his anger at bay, not wanting to scare his followers. Akio was fast asleep, leaning on the window.

"He did what few men are able to do... Going against impossible odds and provide hope..." Saeko said.

Akio was leaning in the window, showing some discomfort as he kept assuming a sleeping position. Saeko giggled as she placed his head on her shoulders. He stopped moving and was sleeping contently.

Takashi and Rei noticed the motorbike was starting to sputter.

"Takashi, the gas tank is starting to empty." Rei noticed.

"I saw the meter. There's a nearby gas station with a convenience store that we can go to." Takashi informed Rei.

They barely drove their way to the gas station. Upon arriving, Takashi grunted with disdain.

"What's wrong?" Rei asked.

"This is a self-service gas station. In order to pour gasoline, we have to insert money." Takashi explained.

"How much do you have?" Rei asked.

"200." Takashi answered.

"You're really unreliable, you know that?" Rei nitpicked.

"Don't you have your wallet so I can borrow some cash?" Takashi questioned.

Rei now looked sheepish. She reluctantly answered.

"I left it in the school." She said.

Takashi bit back a laugh, only giving an amused smirk.

"'Speak for yourself', they say. I'll go inside to get some cash. Scream if anything happens." Takashi said.

Rei nodded in response, but she had a poker face, which made it hard for Takashi not to laugh. He went inside the convenience store. It was dark and quiet.

"Nobody's here it seems..." He said.

He looked at the juices and decided to take a couple of cartons of chocolate milk. He had them placed in a grocery bag.

'Akio and Venom would be happy to have a restock.' Takashi thought.

He soon looked at a cash registrar. This made him smirk.

"I've always wanted to do this..." Takashi said, gripping on his bat.

Outside, Rei was waiting for Takashi.

'I've been putting a lot of stress on him lately... I don't think it's a good idea to keep doing that.' She thought.

Soon, she heard sounds of bashing. This made her look at the store.

'He seems to be having fun... Maybe I've been too hard on him.' Rei thought.

Unknown to both Rei and Takashi, they were not alone. There was another person lurking within the gas station. Rei was soon assaulted and screamed loud enough for Takashi to hear.

Takashi quickly raced his way out to Rei. He saw a burly person, holding Rei back. The person in question was male, light-skinned and appeared to be dressed like an American gangster. He had a pocket knife to intimidate her.

"Rei!" Takashi shouted.

The burly male had an insane expression clearly shown. Takashi was noticed by the man.

"Hahahahaha... You have a hot girlfriend, you know that?" The male asked.

"Dude, let her go. We can be on our way." Takashi reasoned.

"Let her go? Hahahahahaha... What do you think that'll make me let her leave? I had to kill off my family just to survive..." The man said, clearly showing his insanity.

Takashi realized that reasoning with the person was at dead's ears. He could see the male in question was crazy.

"Are you...insane...?" He reluctantly asked.

"Hell Yeah, I'm insane! I killed my parents, my brother and my baby sister, who turned into those things! How can I remain sane after what I have done!?" The man yelled.

Rei took the chance to flee, but the male was quick enough to recapture her.

"Your girl has a nice body. Have you guys fucked yet? You have, haven't you!?" The male asked.

Takashi kept his composure as Rei whimpered from the male's rough grip. He didn't want to alert him with his hostile intent.

"What do you want from us?" He asked.

"I saw you getting cash from that registrar. Fill that bike up and get the fuck out of the way!" The insane man said.

Takashi reluctantly went to the gasoline dispenser and inserted a 2000 yen bill. He began filling the motorbike tank, lifting the driver seat and inserting the nozzle through the open gas tank. After a few seconds, the gas tank was full.

"Alright, the bike is full. Now let her go." Takashi said.

"No! Throw the bat far away, now!" The male ordered.

Takashi reluctantly threw the bat far enough. The sound of the bat hitting the pavement echoed, alerting any zombies in the vicinity.

"Now step away from the bike!" The insane man continued.

"Aren't you going to let her go?" Takashi asked, standing his ground.

"Let her go? No! I think I'll keep her to repopulate the Earth since the world has gone to Hell!" The man answered.

"Dude, let's just be reasonable..." Takashi said, slowly getting close.

The insane man raised his knife at Rei's throat.

"Don't get fucking close! I will kill this bitch, I mean it!" The man said.

Takashi paused for a moment. He was trying to negotiate with the insane man. The noise from the bat he threw also became his concern as time was running out.

"Seriously, just let her go." Takashi said, showing a serious look.

"Back off, motherfucker! I will kill her!" The man said, raising his knife.

Takashi took the momentary distraction to his advantage. He brought out the revolver and dashed to the man, pointing his gun on his exposed left shoulder.

"I may not be good with a weapon like this, but at point-blank range..." Takashi paused, raising the gun's hammer with his thumb.

"Wait, if you shoot me here, the gas will be set on fire..." The insane man said, now scared.

Takashi's expression grew dark. His hair shadowed his face, which showed unrelenting fury.

"It's better than you stealing or raping my girlfriend." Takashi growled.

Rei smiled in response. Takashi fired the gun immediately. The bullet went inside the man's shoulder, but not exiting from his body. The sudden event caused Rei to be free from the man's grasp.

"Aaaughh!!! My blood! My blood! You fucking shot me!" The man cried out.

Rei held her weapon, ready to finish the man down.

"You damn bastard...!" She bellowed, scaring the man.

"That's enough, Rei!" Takashi called out.

"What do you mean, Takashi? This bastard has to pay for what he did!" Rei said.

"He's better left alone to die. Besides, you recall how much noise we made?" Takashi asked.

Rei soon realized it. Zombies were flocking their way to the gas station. She joined Takashi on the motorbike. The two teens gave the man a look of disdain and anger before leaving.

"Don't get close... Stay away!" The man said, feebly holding his knife.

The zombies continued marching forward. All didn't stop as the man watched with fear. Soon, they all converged and began devouring him alive.

Akio was sleeping peacefully on Saeko's shoulder. The girl was also smiling as she held his head.

'He has given us hope, especially during this outbreak...' She thought.

Moving slowly to his forehead, she gave a gentle kiss. Akio shifted in his sleep. This surprised Saeko, but she calmed down. The kendo practitioner noted he was sleeping like a young infant.

'He certainly looks cute like that. I know he's been fighting off the undead, but he was noble.' She thought.

Slowly, she kissed his forehead again. Akio didn't move as he remained asleep.

Dawn had arrived. Takashi and Rei were pondering whether their actions during the night were morally correct. Although they don't show it, their thoughts were asunder while recalling the insane man's last moments.

"Takashi... Will... we survive?" Rei reluctantly asked.

"I'm not sure... With people like that man becoming insane, I have a feeling that more problems will arise... We have to stick together with the group that we will meet today." Takashi said.

The two teens knew they will have to survive the now hostile environment. As much as they want to deny it, the truth laid bare for them.

'The first day of the end has occurred. During that same day... I killed a human... There's no excuse for it, but there are people who can't be reasoned with. If anything, this whole world went to hell.' Takashi thought.


End file.
